Bicycle Mita's Palace

Bicycle Mita is a character in the urban folklore of Bucharest, mentioned in a borderline obscene jocular song and several anecdotes, and has always had an enigmatic aura, since no one knew if she really existed at all. This was the case until a few years ago, when a grandiose heritage mansion went under reparations in the historic area of Bucharest. It was Bicycle Mita's house, who had made a fortune in early 20th century as a high class escort and madam. Her real name was Maria Mihaescu, and she was born in 1885 in a village in Prahova County, coming from a family of very modest means. At around 14 or 15, it seems that she started her courtesan career in Bucharest, taking it by storm, ensnaring artists, writers, politicians, and aristocrats. In this way, Maria Mihaescu managed to overcome her social status, and even become a trailblazer in the capital city. Her house, recently restored and re-opened to the public, is as remarkable as its first owner. We talked about it with Edmond Niculusca, president of the Romanian Association for Culture, Education, and Normalcy, or ARCEN:

“The house was built between 1908 and 1910, so it was finished before WWI. It was gifted to the beautiful, extravagant, and very famous Maria Mihaescu by Prince Ferdinand, the future King Ferdinand of Romania. The building was designed by Nicolae Mihaescu, no relation. That was just the name of the architect. It is a building atypical for Bucharest, with Art Nouveau elements, which was rare in the capital. It is a large, impressive mansion, built across from Amzei Church, at the intersection between the Amzei Market commercial area, with the market warehouses built by King Carol I, and the aristocratic neighborhood. This was the place where the highest placed families had their capital residences. Maria Mihaescu, therefore, got the house as a gift. At just 23 years of age, she was already famous. She had won a flower fight on the Cote d'Azurein France, then a hat competition in Monaco, and her fame is partially due to French press coverage, which writes about the beauty and extravagance of the semi-ingenue, as the press in Bucharest dubbed her.”

Back in those days, some indigent girls had to resort to prostitution, because, barring marriage, there were few opportunities for women to make a living on their own. It seems that in 1927, about 12,000 women were prostitutes, most of them under precarious conditions. High class courtesans like Maria Mihaescu were few and far between, which is why when one of them brought together courage and personal charm, they were immediately noticed, just like the one that came to be known as Bicycle Mita. Here is Edmond Niculusca with details:

“It was the Bucharest satirical press that dubbed her Bicycle Mita, because she was the first woman to ride a bicycle and to wear trousers in Bucharest, and who even sunbathed topless on the shore of Herastrau lake, which is what got her arrested by the police. She was an extravagant, and at the same time a feminist ahead of her time, who stole the heart of many a man in the capital Bucharest, and not only. She almost married the king of Portugal, Manuel. Even if she ended up not marrying him, she was a queen, a princess of her time. In Bucharest, the house in Amzei Market hosted many high class events, where political and trade alliances were forged.”

In the 1940s, Maria Mihaescu married General Alexandru Dimitrescu, but soon financial problems would appear. During the communist regime, Maria's house was nationalized, but she lived to see another day. She went on to live over 80 years, and passed away in 1968, and all the while the legend of Bicycle Mita grew in popularity.